Fruit Fly Theatre Company Debuts in New York with *The Wish*, Marking Valentina Avila’s Directorial Arrival

NEW YORK, NY — New York City’s theatre landscape welcomed a compelling new voice this fall as Venezuelan artist Valentina Avila made her directorial and producing debut with *The Wish*, a multimedia stage production that also marked the launch of Fruit Fly Theatre Company.

Presented over a two-night run on November 15 and 16, *The Wish* blended movement, poetry, humor, and experimental performance to examine themes of political uncertainty, collective trauma, and resistance. The production introduced Avila as a director unafraid to challenge form while addressing contemporary social realities.

Avila recently graduated from the Stella Adler Acting Studio and holds a BFA in Acting and Directing from Central Michigan University. Her background spans both performance and technical theatre, positioning her as a multifaceted creative with experience across directing, acting, lighting design, sound design, and stage management.

Launch of Fruit Fly Theatre Company

*The Wish* also served as the inaugural production of Fruit Fly Theatre Company, Artistic Director by Avila alongside fellow Stella Adler alumni Valentine Alvarado and Naomi Orange. The company is rooted in a collaborative, community-focused ethos and emphasizes experimentation, accessibility, and representation of underrepresented voices.

Fruit Fly Theatre Company’s mission centers on creating work that responds to global and domestic issues while fostering an inclusive space for emerging artists. Drawing inspiration from DIY and punk theatre traditions, the collective aims to challenge conventional production models and storytelling approaches.

About *The Wish*

Directed by Avila, *The Wish* featured a diverse international ensemble and employed a non-linear structure that incorporated dance, spoken word, ritualistic elements, and multilingual performance. The production explored shifting political rights and personal agency through an emotionally charged and immersive theatrical experience.

Rather than following a traditional narrative arc, *The Wish* invited audiences to engage with fragmented scenes and symbolic gestures, emphasizing emotional truth and communal reflection. The result was a work that functioned as both performance and statement, underscoring theatre’s role as a space for dialogue and resistance.

With the debut of *The Wish* and the formation of Fruit Fly Theatre Company, Avila establishes herself as a director to watch within New York’s independent theatre community. The production signals the arrival of a new company committed to bold storytelling and positions Avila at the forefront of a new generation of theatre-makers shaping the city’s cultural future.